Biography

Osmanski was the starting fullback
for some of the greatest teams in Holy Cross history, using his
bursting speed, instinctive balance and awesome power to bolster
one of the finest offensive threats in Eastern football during the
late 1930s. The Crusaders posted a 23-3-3 record during his career,
with the three loses coming by a total of five points. In
1936 his 85-yard run gave Holy Cross a 7-0 victory over Dartmouth.
He had other runs of 92, 68, 65, and 45 yards, was given the
nickname "Bullet Bill" and was named All-America in 1938. In 1939,
he won the Most Valuable Player trophy in the College All-Star
Game, before being drafted in the first round (6th overall) by the
Chicago Bears.

He played for the Bears from
1939-43, and again from 1946-47. In between his two terms with the
Bears, he served in the Marines in World War II . The Bears won
four league championships in his time, and he led the league in
rushing yardage in 1939. Osmanski, in addition to playing with the
Bears, earned a dental degree from Northwestern University. He
briefly returned to Holy Cross as a head coach in 1948-49 before
returning to his dental practice full-time. He passed away in
1996.

He was inducted into the Crusader
Football Legends Ring of Fame in 2010, as part of its inaugural
class. See a Photo
Gallery of the event.

College of the Holy CrossDepartment of Athletics 1 College Street Worcester, MA 01610